Wire-fence stretcher.



P. W. DILLON.

WIRE F ENCE STRETCHER. APPLICATION HLED MAR. 12, 1913. RENEWED MAY 1.191s.

- 1,205,336. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

VIII/[III],

am'uautoz PAUL W. DILLON, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NORTHWESTERN BARB WIRE COMPANY, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS.

WIRE-FENCE STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Application filed March 12, 1913, Serial No. 753,886. Renewed May 1, 1916. Serial No. 94,756.

0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL W. DILLON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sterling, in the county of VVhiteside and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Fence Stretchers, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention pertains to wire fence stretchers, and embraces certain improvements in machines of that class for which Letters Patent of the United States No.'

808,023 were issued to Vashington M. Dillon December 19th, 1905.

The present device embodies certain novel structures which render the machine more efficient and easily operated.

In the drawings; Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a medial longitudinal section thereof.

1 represents a frame in which is rotatably mounted a pair of similar ratchet wheels 2 and 3, united by a chain wheel 4, upon which is operated a chain 5. One end of the frame 1 is pivoted on a pin 6, to which is also pivotally attached a yoke 7, the outer end of which is pivoted to one end of a frame 8, in which is held a pair of clamp-bars 9. Rockingly supported on the pivot 6 is a support 10, upon the upper plate of which is pivoted, on opposite sides of the pivot 6, a pair of ratchet-arms 11, which engage the teeth of the wheels 2 and 3 and are provided at their engaging ends with downwardly projected pairs of ears, which embrace the edges of the ratchet-wheels and prevent the ratchet-arms from being accidentally dis-engaged therewith. The support 10 is provided with a pair of ears l2, perforated to permit the insertion of a lever 13, of any desired length, and held from accidental release by means of pins 14 in the ends thereof. By a manual operation of the lever 13 the support 10 is rocked upon its pivot, reciprocating the arms 11, which alternatelyengage the wheels 2 and 3 causing the same to rotate in the direction of the support 10.

The outer end of the chain 5 is fixed to a post or other stationary object, and the line wires of the fence are tightly held between the clamp-bars 9. The rotation of the wheels 2 and 3 and chain-wheel 4 draws'the chain inwardly, and has the effect of moving the clamp-bars and fencing held thereby in the direction of the supporting point of the chain.

As is well known, the fencing when being attached to the posts is in a vertical plane, and in stretcher-s of the class described the operating lever projects at a right angle thereto. This makes it necessary to operate the machine at all times from one side of the fence. In the present device, however, by sliding the lever 13 through the ears 12 in either direction, it can be rendered operable on either side of the fence, or can be centered in the support 10, and operated by two persons, one at each end, if an extra amount of exertion should be required.

For the purpose of transportion the lever 13 can be readily separated from the support 10 by removing one of the pins lt in the ends of such lever.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent thereof is:

In a. device of the class named, the combination with a frame and pair of ratchetwheels coineidently rotatable therein; of a yoke pivotallyconnected with said frame; wire fence engaging means connected with said yoke; a pair of plates on opposite sides of said yoke and pivoted in common therewith; a pair of end-plates uniting said lastnamed plates and provided with perforated projections in line with the opening in said yoke; ratchet-arms pivoted on the upper one of said plates on opposite sides of the pivotal point thereof, and adapted to engage said ratchet-wheels to suitably actuate the same; and a tubular hand-lever passing through said yoke and slidably held in said endplates.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL W. DILLON.

WVitnesses W. N. HASKELL, DANA P. MUNN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D G. 

